


Cursed Me (and my flower)

by BoxOnTheNile



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: All seven birds are mentioned, Based off a draw by glowbat on tumblr, F/M, Hanahaki Disease, It was gonna be longer but lup, Stolen Century era, it's blupjeans but it's mostly focused on barry and merle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2019-01-06 01:40:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12201351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoxOnTheNile/pseuds/BoxOnTheNile
Summary: Barry has hanahaki. Merle gets creative. Lup gets mad.





	Cursed Me (and my flower)

**Author's Note:**

> Read my little fable:   
> He that runs may read.   
> Most can raise the flowers now,   
> For all have got the seed. 
> 
> And some are pretty enough,   
> And some are poor indeed;   
> And now again the people   
> Call it but a weed.
> 
> -Lord Alfred Tennyson

They had barely touched down during the first cycle when Barry went to Merle. 

The cleric glanced up at him for a moment before returning to sorting medical supplies. “How can I help you, Professor Bluejeans?”

Barry cringed a little at the formality, but brushed it off. “I have hanahaki.”

The stream of curses that followed was long and inventive. “Examination table. Who else knows?”

“The Captain,” Barry said as he carefully moved a crate full of supplies and hoisted himself onto the table. Merle stepped onto the box to reach. In moments, Barry's shirt was draped over the back of a chair and Merle’s hands were splayed across his back, sending gentle pulses of magic into his lungs. 

“This is bad, kid,” Merle muttered. “Real bad. The plant rooted, so I can't burn it out with magic, and we're not equipped for surgery.” He met Barry's eyes. “Please tell me it's at least someone on the crew. We can't lose anyone else, Bluejeans.”

“Yeah,” he answered, but didn't elaborate.

Merle sighed. “Look, kid, as a medical professional and a scientist, I have to advise you to confess, because that should help kill the flowers. But as a person?” He sighed again. “It's never that easy. I've got some experience in plant magic, so I'll try to keep it from progressing.”

They did the first experimental treatment right there, Merle attempting to channel a Blight spell directly into Barry's lungs, followed immediately by Healing Word. Barry's chest seized, and he retched, vomiting dead, blackened petals.

It wasn't a perfect solution, but it worked, at least for a while.   
\--

Merle died halfway through the twenty-third cycle. It was weeks later that the plant rooted in Barry’s heart bloomed its fullest, and he suffocated on the flowers blocking his throat.  
\--

Lup punched him as soon as he revived on the Starblaster. “Hanahaki!” she screeched. “And red camellia? Is there something you want to tell me, Barold J. Bluejeans?”

“Lup, hey, calm down.” Taako took a step towards his sister, but she waved him off. 

“ _‘You are the flame of my heart’_ ,” she recited. “That's what those means, Barry!” Suddenly, the fire seemed to drain from her eyes, and she tipped her down to bury her face in Barry's hair. “I fucking killed you because I didn't -”

“Lup, that's great, but move.” Merle shoved the elf aside and placed his hands over Barry’s ribs. “If everyone knows, I can treat this right the fuck now. Magnus, come hold him up, I'm casting Blight directly into his lungs.”

“What the _fuck_ ,” Lup shrieked. “You're _Blighting him?_ ”

“Twice a week since the first cycle, if I can,” Merle said. “The Starblaster has a well equipped medbay, but not well enough for surgery.” As Merle spoke, Magnus carefully wrapped his arms around Barry’s shoulders and waist. 

“It's rooted?” Lucretia whispered. At the helm, Davenport nodded, and Lucretia cursed softly. 

Barry's knees buckled as the necrotic energy swept across the fragile tissue of his lungs, followed by the soothing touch of Healing Word. He vomited withered petals down the front of his robe, all of them spotted with scarlet. 

“Fuck,” Merle cursed, snatching up one of the petals. “That's bad. That's really bad. That’s super fucking bad. It's worse.”

“How?” Barry croaked, his throat and lungs still burning. “Our bodies reset every cycle, it should be rooted, but not deadly yet!”

“I know, I know.” Merle tugged on his beard. “I have to put you under the knife. “

“You could kill him him!” Davenport protested, half turning in the pilot’s chair. 

“If we don't, the flowers will kill me for sure.”

“There's a third fucking option,” Lup snarled. She grabbed the front of Barry’s robes and pulled him into a kiss.


End file.
